An ad hoc committee will plan a 2-day public workshop to explore the relationship between mental health and violence. The workshop will feature invited presentations and discussions to examine the following questions:

1) What are the relationships of mental illnesses, violence perpetration, and violence victimization? What are the mental health consequences of victimization and exposure to violence?
2) What are the challenges associated with using mental health diagnoses for predictive factors of violent behavior? What are the societal expectations for culpability for violent behavior? What are the benefits and risks of social and legal protection of not only those with mental illness, but also other members of society when there is an identified connection between mental health and violent behavior?
3) How might enablers of violence--including means of transmission (such as weapons) and behavioral risk factors (such as alcohol and substance abuse)--affect violence perpetration by and victimization of individuals with mental health disorders? How do these issues differ in resource-constrained settings for access to both means and facilitators for violence and resources for early prevention or intervention?
4) How might effective approaches to mental health promotion, including individual therapeutic approaches and population-level interventions, contribute to preventing and mitigating violence? How might such approaches contribute to mitigating the effects and trauma of violence victimization and exposure?
5) What role can technology play in prevention and early intervention?

The committee, supported by the staff of the Forum on Global Violence Prevention, will develop the workshop agenda, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. Experts will be drawn from the public and private sectors as well as from academic organizations to allow for multi-lateral, evidence-based discussions. An individually-authored summary of the presentations and discussions at the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.